Writing instrument identification process and device

ABSTRACT

This device relates to graphics apparatus of the pen-plotter type comprising a plotter head which is moveable in a horizontal direction Y and supports a writing instrument which is vertically moveable (Z direction) on the head. Each writing instrument bears an identification surface the location of which along the Z direction depends on the instrument type. The apparatus further includes a fixed abutment. The instrument type is identified by detecting the vertical position of the instrument when the identification surface is brought into contact with the abutment. For greater accuracy, a differential measurement can be obtained between this vertical position and a reference position obtained by bringing a reference surface of the instrument into contact with a reference abutment.

The invention relates to plotter-type graphics systems and moreparticularly to a process and device for identifying a writinginstrument used in such graphics systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Plotter-type graphics systems generally include a plotter head bearing awriting instrument that is displaceable on a print medium to tracegraphic patterns thereon. In the so-called horizontal plotters, theprint medium is fixed and the writing head is displaceable over themedium along two rectangular axes. In other plotters, the print mediumis moveable in an X-direction and the writing head is moveable in aY-direction, perpendicular to the X-direction. The writing instrument isfurther displaceable in a Z direction, perpendicular to the printmedium, between a work position contacting the print medium and aposition displaced from the medium. The writing instrument used isselected among a set of writing instruments stored in a storage device,such as a barrel for example. Several writing instruments, e.g. havingdifferent colours or thicknesses, can thus be used for a same drawing.

It is important to know at any moment which writing instrument ismounted on the head. On the one hand it is required to modify suchplotting parameters as speed, acceleration or applied pressure,depending on the type of writing instrument used, e.g. whether it is afibre-tip, ballpoint or tube-point; on the other hand, it may be usefulto check whether the writing instrument carried on the head correspondsto the one intended to be used.

A known identification procedure consists in picking out the differentwriting instruments in terms of the positions they occupy in the storagedevice, the instrument type being stored in a memory within the machineby an operator when the different instruments are loaded into thestorage device. Another known identification procedure consists inplacing optical references on the writing instruments, such asreflecting annular strips whose width and location depend on the type ofinstrument. The type of instrument picked by the plotter head is thendetermined by detecting the width and location of these strips by meansof an optical transmitter-receiver. This system has the drawback ofbeing sensitive to ambient light and to dust that can darken thereflecting strips. The reflecting strips can be damaged when changinginstruments, and the system requires purpose-designed detectionequipment that can be difficult to adjust. In other systems,identification of the instrument type is obtained by identification ofthe barrel, which prohibits having an assortment of several types ofinstrument in a barrel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The subject of the invention is a process and device for automaticallydetecting writing instrument types without any of the above drawbacks.The invention has the additional advantage of not requiring a detectiondevice other than the position detector normally used to indicate theposition of the writing instrument with respect to the plotter head, thesaid detector serving to control the instrument's downward travel ontothe print medium.

According to the invention, a process for the identification of awriting instrument in a graphics apparatus comprising a plotter headdisplaceable along at least a first direction (Y) parallel to a printmedium to trace predetermined graphics patterns on the print medium, thewriting instrument borne by the plotting head being furthermoredisplaceable along a second direction (Z) substantially perpendicular tothe first so as to move away from, or approach the print medium, ischaracterized in that, with one of the first and second directions beingchosen as the detection direction, the writing instrument bears anidentification surface whose location along the detection direction isdetermined as a function of the type of writing instrument. The processfurther includes the following steps: bringing the writing instrument toan identification position for which the identification surface of thewriting instrument is in contact with an identification abutment of thegraphics apparatus; and detecting the identification position of thewriting instrument along the said detection direction so as to deducetherefrom an indication on the type of writing instrument borne by thehead.

Preferably, a differential measurement is carried out by bringing thewriting instrument up to a reference position for which a referenceposition of the writing instrument, whose location is independent of theinstrument type, is in contact with a reference abutment on the graphicsapparatus; detecting the reference position along said detectiondirection; and subsequently combining the identification position andthe reference position to deduce therefrom an indication of the type ofwriting instrument.

According to another aspect of the invention, a graphics apparatus iscomposed of a plotter head mounted to be moveable on a frame along atleast a first direction (Y) and bearing a writing instrument so as totrace predetermined graphic patterns on a print medium; means formounting the writing instrument on the plotter head to allow movement ofthe writing instrument with respect to the plotter head along a seconddirection (Z) that is substantially perpendicular to the first directionso as to move away from or approach the print medium; first actuatingmeans to displace the plotter head along a first direction (Y); andsecond actuating means to displace the writing instrument with respectto the plotter head along the second direction (Z). With one of thefirst and second directions chosen as the detection direction, thewriting instrument bears an identification surface whose location alongsaid detection direction is determined as a function of the type ofwriting instrument, and the graphics apparatus includes anidentification abutment, means for controlling the actuating means inorder to bring the plotter head into an identification position forwhich the identification surface is in contact with the identificationabutment, and means for detecting the position of the writing instrumentalong the detection direction in order to deduce from the detectedposition an indication of the type of writing instrument borne by thehead.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description given as a non-limiting example, withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a highly schematical general view of an X Y plotter typegraphics apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a more detailed view showing the plotter head of the graphicsapparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3a and 3b are partial detailed views showing the writinginstrument in several positions adopted in the identification processaccording to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows schematically a part of the plotting apparatus consistingof a frame 10 on which is moveably mounted a plotter head 11 formed by aslide-rest 12 supporting a writing instrument 13 via mounting means 18.A drum 14 over which passes a print medium such as a sheet of paper 15is rotatably mounted on the frame 10.

The drum 14 is driven into rotation by means of a motor 16 whose outputshaft is e.g. directly coupled to the axis of the drum 14. Drum rotationalong one direction or another causes a forward or backward longitudinaldisplacement of the sheet 15 along a direction X. Fixed contact betweenthe drum 14 and the sheet 15 is obtained e.g. by means of pins on thedrum cooperating with perforations formed alongside the edges of thesheet, or by means of pressure rollers pressing the sheet against thedrum.

The plotter head 11 is moveable is translation along a horizontaltransversal direction Y, parallel to the axis of the drum 14 andperpendicular to the X direction. To that end, the slide-rest 12 isjoined to a ribbon, or cable 17 e.g. drawn in one direction or anotherby a motor 20. During its displacement, the slide-rest 12 is guidedalong one or several slideways 21.

The writing instrument 13 is mounted on the slide-rest 12 so as to bemoveable in a Z direction perpendicular to X and Y between a proximalposition on the sheet 15 (low position) in which the tip of the writinginstrument is in contact with the sheet 15, and a distal position (highposition) in which the tip of the writing instrument is not in contactwith the sheet 15. In the low position, the writing instrument is incontact with the sheet 15 at a writing zone located parallel and closeto the upper generatrix of the drum 14, or along that generatrix.Various actuating means may be used to transfer the writing instrumentfrom its high position to its low position, or vice versa. A particularembodiment of these actuating means is described further with referenceto FIG. 2.

Finally, FIG. 1 also shows--very schematically--a rotary magazine orbarrel 22 at the peripheral portions of which are formed severallodgings for storing writing instruments, so as to allow automaticchangeover of the writing instrument carried by the head. The changeoveris carried out by bringing the plotter head 11 to a transfer positionadjacent to the barrel 22, this position corresponding to one end oftravel of the plotting head. The barrel 22 is rotatably moveable incooperation with a motor 23 in order to confront the plotting head, in achangeover position, with either a vacant lodging for receiving theinstrument carried by the head, or a lodging occupied by an instrumentto be transferred to the head.

An element 24 is fixed to the frame close to the barrel 22 and in theextension of the writing path. Its upper portion has a referenceabutment surface 25 and an identification abutment surface 26 againstwhich the writing instrument 13 can be brought into contact. The purposeof these abutments shall be explained in more detail further.

The plotting head carrying a writing instrument 13 is shown in moredetail in FIG. 2.

The mounting means 18 consist of a rear portion 27 fixed to theslide-rest 12 and a front portion 28 that is adapted to receive thewriting instrument and moveably mounted in the Z direction with respectto the slide 12. The writing instrument 13 is held on the front portion28 of the mounting means by means of a clamp 29 which is affixed to thisportion. The clamp 29 comprises a fixed jaw 30 which is unitary with thefront portion 28 of the mounting means 18, and a jaw 31 which isarticulated on this front portion around a vertical axis and pushed backby a spring (not shown) to clamp the writing instrument 13 on eitherside of a ring 32 formed on the said writing instrument for securefastening of the latter throughout the writing operations. The mountingmeans 18 also include linkages 33 and 34 affixed to the front portion 28by shrunken portions 35 and 36, and to the rear portion by shrunkenportions 37 and 38.

In the illustrated example, raising and lowering movements of thewriting instruments along the Z direction are obtained throughreversible deformations of the mounting means 18, as described in Frenchpatent application No. 87.05116. In brief, portions 27 and 28 andlinkages 33 and 34 are made from a single piece, e.g. by moulding of aplastics material such as polypropylene in the shape of anelastically-deformable parallelogram. The structure's capacity fordeformation is achieved through the shrunken portions 35 to 38 in thelinkages 33,34 that connect the front portion 28 supporting the clamp 29to the rear portion 27 that is rigidly fixed to the slide-rest 12.

Lowering and raising movements of the writing instrument 13 are causedby an actuator 41 acting directly on an arm 42 that is unitary with thefront portion 28 of the mounting means. The actuator 41 can e.g. be ofthe electromagnetic type operating with an assembly 43 supported by theslide-rest 12 and formed of a flat soft-iron element on which are fixedtwo permanent magnets, and a vertically-moveable coil 44 inside thefield created by the assembly 43 in response to a current applied to thecoil from a control device 47. The coil 44 is unitary with the arm 42and, depending on the direction of the current flowing therethrough, iseither displaced towards the bottom to deform the mounting means so asto bring the writing instrument 13 to a low position, or towards the topto bring the writing instrument to a raised position. A draw-spring 45exerts a restoring force on the front portion 28 of the mounting meansto bring back the writing instrument to the raised position when theapparatus is not powered. Insofar as the spring 45 is chosen so that itjust balances the weight of the moveable assembly supporting theinstrument, and so that is does not act during a writing process, it ispreferable to use the actuator 41 acted upon by controller 47 to bringthe writing instrument to a raised position. This will ensure a fast andaccurate raising of the instrument.

The plotter head 11 further includes a position detector 46 fordetecting the position of the writing instrument 13 in the Z direction.The detector is composed of a fixed part 50 which is unitary with theslide-rest 12 and a moveable part 51 which is unitary with the arm 42,and it can be an optical encoder having a coded track affixed to themoveable part 51, whose position along the Z direction is supplied inthe form of an electrical signal from an optical sensor contained in thefixed part 50 by means of a detection circuit 49.

The control circuit 47 and detection circuit 49 are connected to amicroprocessor-based central unit 59 programmed for their operation.

The central unit 56 is also connected to a controller 57 connected to amotor 20 (FIG. 1) for controlling the drive along the Y direction. Themotor 20 can e.g. be a DC motor cooperating with an encoder (not shown)mounted on the pulley for drawing the cable 17. The Y position of theslide-rest is thus detected and sent in electrical signal form to thecentral unit via a detection circuit 58. The central unit is similarlyconnected to a controller 60 connected to motor 16 for controlling themovement of the print medium along the X direction.

Clearly, other embodiments for the plotter head may be used so long asthey allow displacement of the writing instrument along the Y and Zdirections. For example, another embodiment of the plotter head isdescribed in French patent No. 2572572 (BENSON). In other plotter heads,the writing instrument is fixed to the end of a support pivoting about ahorizontal axis so that the displacement along the Z direction follows acircular arc close to the vertical.

In view of identifying the type of instrument, the writing instrument 13possesses a shoulder having an identification surface 52 whose locationalong the Z direction depends on the type of instrument. In other words,the distance between the identification surface 52 and the ring 32,differs according to the instrument. The writing instrument 13 also hasa reference surface 53 located e.g. close to the tip of the writinginstrument. The location of the reference surface 52 along the Zdirection is accurately determined with respect to the ring 32,irrespective of the writing instrument used. In the example described,the writing instrument is formed of two parts: the writing device per se54 and an instrument-holder 55. The writing device is placed in theinstrument-holder and held in its lodging by means of a knurled ringwhich has the effect of tightening the split upper part of the saidinstrument-holder 55 around the writing device. In this example, it isthe instrument-holder 55 that is fitted with surfaces 52 and 53 as wellas the ring 32. Clearly, the instrument carrier holder 55 can be made anintegral part of the writing device 54, the body of the latter beingmade by moulding with an appropriate shoulder and ring.

The process for identifying the type of instrument held by the head isas follows. As was previously explained, each type of instrument has itssurface 52 located at a different distance from the ring 32. With thewriting instrument in a raised position, the plotter head 11 isdisplaced along the Y direction up to the point where the identificationsurface 52 faces the identfication abutment 26. The writing instrument13 is lowered by means of actuating device 41 until reference surface 52comes into contact with the abutment 26 (FIG. 3b), this position beingtermed the identification position. A measurement of this identificationposition Zi is then made along the Z direction by means of detector 46.The position Zi is representative of the type of writing instrument. Forextra precaution, a differential measurement is made. This is achievedby displacing the plotting head once more to where the reference surface53 faces the reference abutment 25. The writing instrument 13 is thenlowered along the Z direction until the reference surface 53 contactsthe reference abutment 25 in the reference position shown in FIG. 3a.This reference position Zr is then measured along the Z axis by means ofdetector 46, and a calculation is made of the difference (Zi-Zr). Thiscalculation is performed in the central unit 56 after storing the Zi andZr values. Defining the distance between surfaces 52 and 53 d, and thedistance between abutments 25 and 26 e, it can be seen that:

    Zi-Zr=d-e

By producing the two abutments 25 and 26 on the same element, distance eis defined with precision and Zi-Zr gives a precise value for d. It thenbecomes possible to identify a large number of instrument types using arelatively short travel. In a classical type of drawing apparatus, itwas found possible to detect seven different types of instruments with atravel of 3.5 mm.

The detection of the reference position also serves for presencedetection, making it possible to check that, after replacement of aninstrument, the new instrument has been picked up by the head and heldin the correct position. To do this, the central unit 56 is made tocheck that the reference position Zr is located between predeterminedlimits.

The described example shows the abutments to be fixed on the frame closeto the barrel. These abutments can obviously be located at other placesthat are accessible by the plotter head. For example, the abutments maybe provided on the barrel itself. In the Z direction, the location ofthe reference surface was preferably chosen so that the reference is inthe region of the raised position, Zr being around 0.5 mm for example.The location of the identification abutment along the Z axis is chosenso that, for the different types of instrument, the mean Zi position isapproximately centered on the center of travel of the writinginstrument.

The embodiment described can naturally be subject to numerous variantswithout leaving the scope of the invention. For example, there can beprovided writing instruments wherein a portion of the body has adiameter that is a function of the instrument type, the external surfaceof this portion of the body forming an identification surface. This partof the instrument body is then displaced along the Z direction to bebrought in front of an identification abutment having a vertical bearingsurface and the Y detector is used to measure the position of theidentification position at which the writing instrument is in contactwith such an identification abutment. In this solution, the operationsalong the Y and Z directions are inverted, the Y direction becoming thedetection direction and the Z direction becoming the approach direction.

What is claimed is:
 1. Identification process for a writing instrumentin a graphics apparatus comprised of a plotter head displaceable in atleast a first direction parallel to a print medium to tracepredetermined graphic patterns on the print medium, the writinginstrument, supported by the plotter head, being furthermoredisplaceable along a second direction substantially perpendicular to thefirst so as to move away from or towards the print medium, wherein:oneof the first and second directions being selected as the detectiondirection, the writing instrument bears an identification surfacelocated at a location along the detection direction that is a functionof the type of writing instrument, the graphics apparatus comprisesdetecting means to detect the position of the writing instruments in thewriting direction and which process includes the following steps:bringing the writing instrument up to an identification position atwhich position the identification surface is in contact with anidentification abutment of the graphics apparatus; and detecting theidentification position of the writing instrument along the detectiondirection when the identification surface is in contact with theidentification abutment of the graphics apparatus in order to deducetherefrom the location of the identification surface along the detectiondirection and thereby an indication of the type of instrument supportedby the head.
 2. Process according to claim 1, wherein the detectiondirection is the second direction.
 3. Process according to claim 1,wherein the step consisting of bringing the writing instrument to theidentification position comprises the following operations:displacingthe plotter head along the other one of said directions until theidentification surface comes opposite, along the detection direction,the identification abutment; and displacing the writing instrument alongthe detection direction up to the identification position.
 4. Processaccording to claim 11, wherein it further includes a step consisting ofdisplacing the writing instrument along the detection direction to movethe identification surface away from the identification abutment afterdetection of the identification position.
 5. Identification process fora writing instrument in a graphics apparatus comprised of a plotter headdisplaceable in at least a first direction parallel to a print medium totrace predetermined graphic patterns on the print medium, the writinginstrument, supported by the plotter head, being furthermoredisplaceable along a second direction substantially perpendicular to thefirst so as to move away from or towards the print medium, wherein:oneof the first and second directions being selected as the detectiondirection, the writing instrument bears an identification surfacelocated at a location along the detection direction that is a functionof the type of writing instrument, and in that it includes the followingsteps: bringing the writing instrument up to an identification positionat which position the identification surface is in contact with anidentification abutment of the graphics apparatus; and detecting theidentification position of the writing instrument along the detectiondirection in order to deduce therefrom an indication of the type ofinstrument supported by the head, wherein the writing instrumentincludes a reference surface situated at a fixed location along thedetection direction irrespective of the type of writing instrument andin that it comrises the following stages: bringing the writinginstrument up to a reference position for which the reference surface isin contact with a reference abutment of the graphics apparatus;detecting the reference position of the writing instrument along thedetection direction; and combining the identification position and thereference position to deduce therefrom an indication of the type ofwriting instrument.
 6. Process according to claim 5, wherein the stageconsisting in bringing the instrument to a reference position includesthe following operations:displacing the plotter head along the other oneof said directions until the reference surface comes in front of thereference abutment along the detection direction; and displacing thewriting instrument along the detection direction up to the referenceposition.
 7. Process according to claim 5, wherein it includes a stepconsisting of displacing the writing instrument along the detectiondirection to move the reference surface away from the reference abutmentafter detection of the reference position.
 8. Process according to claim5, wherein said identification abutment and said reference abutment areformed on a single body.
 9. Process according to claim 5, wherein thestep of combining the identification position and the reference positionconsists in determining the difference between the two positions. 10.Graphics apparatus comprising a plotter head carrying a writinginstrument, the plotter head being moveably mounted on a frame along afirst direction so as to trace predetermined graphics patterns on aprint medium; the writing instrument being moveably mounted on theplotter head along a detection direction perpendicular to the firstdirection between a distal position and a proximal position with respectto the print medium; first actuating means for displacing the plotterhead along the first direction; second actuating means for displacingthe writing instrument with respect to the plotter head along the seconddirection; wherein:one of the first and second directions being selectedas the detection direction, the writing instrument bears anidentification surface situated, along the detection direction, at alocation that is a function of the type of writing instrument; and thegraphics apparatus includes: an identification abutment; means forcontrolling the actuating means in order to bring the writing instrumentinto an identification position for which the identification surface isin contact with the identification abutment; and means for detecting theidentification position along the detection direction in order to deducetherefrom an indication of the type of writing instrument supported bythe head.
 11. Graphics apparatus according to claim 10, wherein thedetection direction is the second direction.
 12. Graphics apparatuscomprising a plotter head carrying a writing instrument, the plotterhead being movably mounted on a frame along a first direction so as totrace predetermined graphics patterns on a print medium; the writinginstrument being movably mounted on the plotter head along a detectiondirection perpendicular to the first direction between a distal positionand a proximal position with respect to the print medium; firstactuating means for displacing the plotter head along the firstdirection; second actuating means for displacing the writing instrumentwith respect to the plotter head along the second direction; whereinoneof the first and second directions being selected as the detectiondirection, the writing instrument bears an identification surfacesituated, along the detection direction, at a location that is afunction of the type of writing instrument; and the graphics apparatusincludes: an identification abutment; means for controlling theactuating means in order to bring the writing instrument into anidentification position for which the identification surface is incontact with the identification abutment; and means for detecting theidentification position along the detection direction in order to deducetherefrom an indication of the type of writing instrument supported bythe head wherein the writing instrument bears a reference surfacesituated, along the detection direction, at a location that isindependent of the type of writing instrument, wherein it furtherincludes a reference abutment, said control means being adapted tocontrol the actuating means to bring the writing instrument into areference position for which the reference surface is in contact withthe reference abutment, and said detection means being adapted to detectthe reference position; and comparing means to combine the detectedreference position and identification position to deduce an indicationtherefrom of the type of writing instrument.
 13. Graphics apparatusaccording to claim 12, wherein the reference abutment and theidentification abutment are formed on a single body.
 14. Graphicsapparatus according to claim 12, including a storage device on which arearranged moveable spare writing instruments, the plotter head beingadapted to take a writing instrument from, or replace a writinginstrument to, the storage device; wherein the reference abutment andthe identification abutment are formed on said storage device. 15.Graphics apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the position of thereference abutment is selected so that the reference position along thesecond direction is in the region of the point of the writing instrumentthat is the furthest possible from the print medium.
 16. Graphicsapparatus according to claim 12, wherein the location of theidentification abutment is selected along the second direction, so thatthe mean of the identification positions for the different types ofwriting instruments is in the region of the centre between the distalposition and the proximal position of the writing instrument withrespect to the print medium.